A. Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education provides overall management, policy, and program coordination for OCTAE’s program activities. OCTAE has one staff office reporting to the Assistant Secretary.

The Assistant Secretary is assisted by staff in the Immediate Office who plan and develop OCTAE’s strategic plan, program performance plan, and organizational performance review. Staff support the Assistant Secretary with the following:

Planning

Coordinates a yearly planning process with the Assistant Secretary and programs units in the development of OCTAE’s Annual Program Performance Plan. Tracks and coordinates the short- and long-term plans for OCTAE and informs the Assistant Secretary about mid-year progress, any need for revision of plans, and end-of-year accomplishments

Budget & Resource Allocation

Prepares OCTAE’s annual program and administrative budget requests to reflect the aims of the Administration and the objectives of the Assistant Secretary for transmission to the Budget Service (BS). Establishes and manages staffing allocations and position ceilings.

Organizational Performance

Coordinates OCTAE’s analyses of critical indicators to identify and report on current performance levels; measures progress in meeting organizational goals; and determines whether changes in program administration and/or operations management are warranted.

Continuous Improvement/Innovation

Provides leadership in designing, developing, and assessing alternative management practices that lead to productivity gains, employee engagement, service delivery innovations, and performance accountability. Analyzes stakeholder requirements, strategic options, and research results, and coordinates with program units to integrate findings into OCTAE’s overall operations management framework.

National Activities

Provides technical support, planning, and administrative assistance to develop, implement, and evaluate OCTAE’s national activities for career and technical education, adult education, and correctional education. Manages the acquisition planning process and collaborates with program staff, managers, and OCTAE senior leaders to conceptualize and execute new contracts and discretionary grants supporting model demonstration, policy improvement, technical assistance, professional development, and research and evaluation activities.

The Executive Office staff in the Office of Postsecondary Education provide administrative support to OCTAE in matters such as budget, finance, management analysis, personnel, contracts and grants, and general services.